Attorney William J. Cass will demonstrate how intellectual property fosters a culture of creativity at RAPID 2012.

DEARBORN, Mich., April 27, 2012 - The
Society of Manufacturing Engineers(SME) will present "Pathways to Innovation: Intellectual Property Rights in Additive Manufacturing" at its RAPID 2012 Conference & Exposition on Thursday, May 24 at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.

This session will reveal how intellectual property contributes to design and to driving the technological innovation that helps shape the physical world through additive manufacturing.

"Pathways to Innovation: Intellectual Property Rights in Additive Manufacturing" will provide attendees with an overview of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and IP agreements while demonstrating how State of Art and Patent Mapping techniques can establish technical trends and new product development opportunities for today's manufacturers. Other IP issues to be covered include:

Identifying intellectual property rights and jurisdiction

Establishing freedom to operate without infringing upon intellectual property rights of others

Cass holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a J.D. from Western New England University School of Law. He has tried cases in state and federal courts since 1988. He has been co-chair of Cantor Colburn's Litigation Department for the last ten years. Cass combines his extensive trial experience with his engineering education to present technically complex matters to judges and juries, as well as, international audiences through speaking engagements.

"Additive manufacturing technologies are rapidly gaining acceptance in several diverse industries and are being used in the earliest stages of product design from prototype to production," says SME business development manager Gary Mikola. "It's important that manufacturing professionals understand how to protect their intellectual property and avoid infringing on IP rights of others."

About RAPID:RAPID is North America's definitive additive manufacturing conference and exposition. The event brings buyers, sellers and end-users of design, prototyping, tooling and direct manufacturing technologies together in an environment that facilitates networking and business interaction. Attendees can evaluate the latest materials and machinery, compare processes, talk to industry experts and make valuable contacts. Exhibitors can meet new customers, discuss projects face-to-face and generate sales. For more information, please visit
sme.org/rapid.

About SME:The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (
SME) is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education and networking. Through its many programs, events, activities and online training division, Tooling U, SME connects manufacturing practitioners to each other, to the latest technologies and to the most up-to-date manufacturing processes. SME has members around the world and is supported by a network of chapters and technical communities. A 501(c) 3 organization, SME is a leader in manufacturing workforce development issues, working with industry, academic and government partners to support the current and future skilled workforce.

About Cantor Colburn LLP:

Cantor Colburn LLP is one of the leading intellectual property specialty law firms in the country, providing a complete range of legal services to a worldwide clientele, enabling our clients to enjoy the greatest value from their intellectual property assets. Cantor Colburn's trademark and copyright team is nationally-ranked for its trademark services and also provides counseling and representation in trade dress, unfair competition law, copyrights, rights of publicity and privacy, trade secrets and proprietary information protection, domain name registrations and disputes, internet and e-commerce law, licensing, distribution agreements, transfer agreements, and due diligence for acquisitions and divestitures. For more information, visit:
www.cantorcolburn.com.